Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

स दृष्ट्वा श्वभ्रमध्यं तं गंभीरं च महामुनिः । चिंतयामास मेधावी श्वभ्रस्यैव प्रपूरणे

Transliteration

sa dṛṣṭvā śvabhramadhyaṃ taṃ gaṃbhīraṃ ca mahāmuniḥ | ciṃtayāmāsa medhāvī śvabhrasyaiva prapūraṇe

Translation

उस गहरे गर्त को देखकर वह महर्षि, मेधावी और विवेकी, मन ही मन विचार करने लगे कि यह खाई कैसे भरी गई होगी।

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (क्त्वान्त), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• śvabhra-madhyam: the middle of the pit
• śvabhra-madhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvabhra (प्रातिपदिक) + madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (śvabhrasya madhyam); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tam: that
• tam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (śvabhra-madhyam इत्यस्य)

• gaṃbhīram: deep
• gaṃbhīram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṃbhīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (śvabhra-madhyam इत्यस्य)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• mahā-muniḥ: the great sage
• mahā-muniḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः—कर्मधारय (mahān muniḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ciṃtayāmāsa: pondered, thought
• ciṃtayāmāsa: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; causative (णिजन्त)

• medhāvī: intelligent, wise
• medhāvī: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (mahāmuniḥ इत्यस्य)

• śvabhrasya: of the pit
• śvabhrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śvabhra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• prapūraṇe: in/over the filling up
• prapūraṇe: Adhikarana (Topic/अधिकरण-भाव)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra-pūraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण/विषय), एकवचन; भाववाचक

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solitary mahāmuni stands at the rim of a vast, dark, deep chasm; his posture is contemplative, eyes lowered, hand to chin, with austere forest/rocky surroundings suggesting Arbuda’s rugged terrain.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāmuni
• Śvabhra
• Sarasvatī (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A wise person contemplates grace, discerning the unseen divine hand behind visible events.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arbuda sacred landscape is again emphasized; the miracle invites recognition of tīrtha-śakti operating in the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse highlights reflective discernment (vicāra) following a divine act.